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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. object — an aim
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. object — a thing
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pass — a permit
  12. object — to protest
  13. scale — in music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. band — a music group
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. band — a ring
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. field — for sport
  24. pound — a weight

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com